Junior Lisa Baker

LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. – On a rain-soaked day, the Niagara University softball team (19-16, 3-3) split a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference doubleheader at Siena College Saturday. The Purple Eagles lost 10-2 in five innings in the opener and then won 3-2 in five and half innings in the nightcap.

Niagara returns to action Sunday when it plays a doubleheader at Marist College at 1 p.m.

Siena 10, Niagara 2 (8 innings)

         Niagara gave up eight runs in the first inning and Siena never looked back in the game.

         Sophomore Tiffany McCrory (Albuquerque, N.M.) gave up five hits, eight runs and walked four in two-thirds innings. Classmate Brooke Viola (Los Alamitos, Calif.) pitched three and a third innings, giving up four hits, two runs and striking out six.

         Junior Lisa Baker (West Seneca, N.Y./West Seneca West) was 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored. Freshman Jennifer Yee (North Delta, B.C.) collected an RBI single up the middle in the third inning. Niagara’s other run came in the fifth when junior Kelly Flaherty (Hastings, N.Y.) doubled to left field and Baker hit an RBI single to right field.

Niagara 3, Siena 1 (5 1/2 innings)

         Lisa Baker scored on a Siena error in the top of the fifth inning to give Niagara the split in the series.

         The junior singled through the left side, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Heather Lohrman (Newport Beach, Calif.), went to second on a wild pitch and then scored on the error.

         The Purple Eagles took a 2-1 lead after the first inning when Baker scored on a Saints’ throwing error. Baker walked, moved to second on sacrifice bunt by Lohrman, moved to third on a Siena error and then scored on the throwing error. Yee, who reached base on an error, stole second and then scored on junior Nicole Sum’s (Burnaby, B.C.) RBI single up the middle.

         Viola threw a three-hitter with three strikeouts. Flaherty registered her second double of the game in the fourth inning.